sen for the foundation logs at
the front and rear of the building. The logs were flattened along the
bottom so that they would have a firmer bearing on the ground, and
particularly on the corners, where they rested on foundation stones.
Each log was now notched about a foot from the ends. The notches were 8
inches long and about 2 inches deep. Care was taken to place those on
one log squarely opposite the notches on the other. A pair of 14-foot
logs were now laid across the foundation logs and rolled along them
until another half-turn would have dropped them into the notches (shown
in Fig. 266). Then notches were cut in the 14-foot logs to correspond,
so that when the final half-turn was given one notch would fit over the
other, making a mortise joint (Fig. 267). When the side logs were in
position notches were cut in their upper surface to receive a pair of
12-foot logs which were rolled onto them, notched and dropped into
place. Then another pair of side logs were laid on, and so the work
progressed. The notches in each log were cut to a depth equal to
one-quarter the diameter of the log; that is, if the log was 8 inches in
diameter the notch was made 2 inches deep, and if 6 inches in diameter
it was cut to a depth of 1-1/2 inches. When the logs were laid in place
no space intervened between them, as will be clearly understood by
reference to Fig. 268.

We found, after a few logs had been set in place, that our cabin was
growing faster at one end than at the other. The trouble was that our
logs were not of uniform diameter throughout, and we had been laying the
butt ends, which were larger, all at one end of the building. So we had
to take down the logs and relay them with the butt end of the front
foundation log at one end and that of the rear foundation log at the
other. Then the cross logs were laid on with their butt ends on the
small ends of the foundation logs. The next end logs were laid with
their small ends on the butt ends of the cross logs, and so on, taking
care never to lay the butt end of one log across the butt end of
another. In this way the walls were built up evenly to a height of 3
feet.

[Illustration: Fig. 269. Piece Cut Out to Admit Saw.]

We had planned to make a large open fireplace in the cabin, and this
necessitated cutting an opening in the rear wall. But we did not want to
cut the opening until the wall was built up to its full height lest it
might buckle while the remainder of the logs